1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for supporting a product identification label. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure capable of removable attachment to a portion of a product rack and also capable of supporting a product identification label.
2. Background of the Invention
It is an age old problem in merchandising to find appropriate ways for labeling products. It is also a problem to find appropriate and convenient ways in which to place labels on product racks and holders. This is particularly true in modern supermarkets. Modern supermarkets require that product racks and identification labels be easily interchangeable so that product displays within the store can be flexible and moveable as necessary. This allows the store operator to maximize the efficiency of the store and to provide for changes in the store format. For example, it may be necessary for the store manager to introduce new products and to phase out old products. In addition, flexible product displays allow the store manager to experiment with different product alignments in order to obtain the most effective and efficient setup for his customers. Thus, it is important that product shelving and labels be flexible in their application.
One persistent problem has been in finding appropriate ways in which to attach product labels to either permanent or removable racks. As mentioned above, it is desirable that display labels be readily interchangeable from place to place on the merchandise containing shelf. Likewise, it is desirable that racks and labels have a pleasing appearance and a finished surface in order to present a good impression to the customer and also to avoid any accidents that may be caused by consumer interaction with the particular rack and label. That is, rough or sharp edges, and the like, should be eliminated in order to avoid cutting and scratching a person's hand when they reach for a product.
Many types of retail stores make extensive use of wire racks or tubular support mechanisms for various types of products. For example, tubular or wire racks are often used to support small items, such as chewing gum, candy products, and other small convenience items. Wire racks and tubular supports are also used at various times to support other items, such as canned goods and paper products.
One of the difficult problems in store management has been finding an appropriate mechanism for attaching product labels to these types of wire or tubular racks. For some purposes, it would be desirable to attach a product label to the wire or tubular rack in such a manner that when the product is fully depleted, a person restocking the shelves could easily determine what product was there. The person restocking the shelves could then add the same product to the same shelf.
Traditional product labels having a sticky adhesive backing are not particularly useful in and of themselves for this purpose. For example, there is no adequate support for the label between the various tubes and wire construction of the rack. The label tends to fall through the gap between the wires. At the same time, the sticky surface on the back of the label tends to collect debris and the like and may present an unsanitary situation.
Furthermore, removing such labels from the rack may be difficult and time consuming. Pulling the label directly off the rack may result in a portion of the label, or the sticky backing surface, remaining on the wire rack. Thus, it may be necessary to frequently clean the wire rack.
An additional problem that has recently presented itself comes with the advent of computerized inventory using bar codes. Many locations on wire racks and the like that may have previously been used to support product labels are now being used to support bar coded information used in computerized inventory taking. Thus, the ability of the store operator to add an appropriate label to a wire or tubular rack structure may be further limited by the necessity of adding computerized inventory information to the few available locations.
Thus, while it has often been highly desirable to place a removable product label on a tubular-type support rack, no adequate support mechanism has been available. Labels having sticky backs and the like can be simply placed across a pair of wire supports. This mechanism, however, results in a label that will likely be torn and defaced with use. Likewise, it is difficult to remove the label and replace it with a new label in the event the store operator determines that realignment of product stock would be advisable.
Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an apparatus for removably mounting product labels onto tubular or wire support shelving. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide an apparatus which adequately supported the labels in order to prevent tearing and defacing of the labels with use. It would be a related advancement in the art to provide an apparatus which allowed for easy replacement of the label. Another advancement in the art would be to provide an apparatus which provided for the attachment of a label to a rack in such a manner as to indicate what product was there once the product was depleted. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a mechanism for attaching labels to tubular or wire racks without leaving a significant amount of sticky residue on a large portion of the rack once the label is removed.
Such an apparatus is disclosed and claimed herein.